Reporting from opening ceremonies

I already have my seat at the stadium for the Olympic opening ceremonies. I’m right in the the center, halfway up, and someone guessed it’s worth 2,000 pound. I’d like to share the view with you, especially since the ceremony won’t be shown live in the US, from what I understand. So, stay tuned as I update this post as the event unfolds.
I already heard the Arctic Monkeys warming up and I think Madonna as well. The ceremony begins in T-minus 2 hours. I can’t wait!

7:55 p.m.
First there were rain clouds. Now they are bringing in cows and goats and sheep. Hmmmm

8:21 p.m.
Just got a very detailed instruction on how we are supposed to participate. One task is rolling a silk up and down the rows, so it flies like a section-wide flag. Another is to toss around gigantic green beach balls with happy faces on them. Apparently, they also have cameras attached. That should make for some interesting video.

I think they should have given people an IQ test before letting them in with all the pre-game instructions they’re getting.

8:34 p.m.
There are some interesting things happening with pixel paddles, which look a little bit like pingpong paddles but have 9 LED lights attatched. In all, there are 70,799 of them and they turn the stadium into a giant screen. …

It’s not an Olympic ceremony in London without rain …

8:38 p.m.
I think the announcer forgot Frank Turner’s name for a moment.

8:53 p.m.
All is quiet in the “countryside” as we wait for the athletes. The sheep, however, are getting applause as they leave through a small chute.

9:08 p.m.
This is where you television viewers join in. Keneth Branaugh is giving a speech from Shakespeare. This after he rode in on a horse-pulled wagon.

Taiko drums signify the start of the industrial revolution. How many peole are out there now? Must be at least 1,000

It is the industrial revolution, and also the fanciest furniture/set moving scene ever.

9:18 p.m.
This section is called “Pandamonium” Seems apt — they’re bringing in a barge and erected seven smokestacks and a bed of sparks and hot steel. … Ah, from the steel was forged the five Olympic rings.
Sparks rained down from the hot red rings. Wow, that was truly gorgous, and it smells like sparklers.

9:25 p.m.
Mow onto a piece called Happy and Glorious starring James Bond and the Queen

Yes, the corgies have names — Monty Willow and Holly — and they are the queen’s.

Looks like they put the queen right next to the press. Hey, you know what they say — keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Net up “Second to the right and straight on till morning”
It features gigantic beds – wish I had one for my dorm room — and nurses. some of the kids jumping on the beds might be in the next Olympics in trampoline and tumbling.

Uh oh, someone call the dog catcher. Looks like the 101 dalmations are out.
This is a weird mix of Alice and Wonderland and the Harry Potter series. Should Voldermort really be bigger than the Queen of Hearts? Doesn’t matter I guess, he was slayed by Mary Poppins x 100

9:51 p.m.
Not only do I love Chariots of Fire, but I also love British humor. Rowan Atkinson was hilarious in that skit.
And while it was going on, an entire house and mountain were built.

9:56 p.m.
This one is called ” Frankie and Jude say … Thanks Tim”
I don’t get the references, at least not yet.

Wow, the UK has given us some pretty awesome music. Though I’m not sure about the I’m forever blowing bubbles song nor the Notting Hill as the centerpiece of its movies. Firestarter, I used to jam out to that song.

10:11 p.m.
This segment is called Abide by me. Not sure what it’s about. There isn’t anything going on in the stadium, just on the screens. Well, except the dismantling of the rocking house (not a mountain, my bad).
Oh, wait, it’s showing all the stages of the torch relay. Now I get it. Did they really carrying on a speeding jet boat? And with David Beckham driving it? Can I be Jane Bailey please? Just this one time?

Ooops, i was wrong, the memorial is called Abide in me. It’s gorgeous.

Here come the athletes!

Angola goes down with the worst uniforms yet. Plaid dresses from head to toe. Not my cup of tea.
The Argentina team is massive.

Really like the Armenian suits. Very classy

The athletes are all so happy and excited to be here .. and most aren’t hard to look at.

Belarus went the all-white route with red cumberbunds, very classy. And here is Belgium. Wonder if the field hockey players I saw in the train station are in that group? Weird that most of the girls are wearing heels and the men have red shoes that look like old Jordans on.

Bermuda went the shorts route, and Bolivia has on patterned outfits that rival Angola’s.

Brazil gets the big cheers, of course.

Wow, is Brunei just one person? That’s crazy. I’m going to have to find out what event she is in.

Oooh, I like the check/plaid on the Bulgaria outfits.

Sad to admit I couldn’t recognize half the teams by their flags. I’m going to have to work on that.
Canada also draws a big cheer.

I wonder if the dancers in the background had to take a lot of Jazzercize to keep doing those moves over and over and over again.

Unike the other groups, I find it interesting that the big Chinese bunch walk in a fairly compact unit.

Little bit of confusion there before I realized Greece went first because it is the birthplace of the Olympics.

I could totally wear Columbia’s khaki and white ensemble to work. I like it.

Cuba has the whole world by a string, or at least some of the athletes do. Wonder if those are part of the outfit.

Soo, after the athletes walk, they just hang out together in the center of the stadium or on the grassy knolls. They have to get tired of standing that long, right?

Czech Republic brought their own umbrellas. Cute and they didn’t even need them, nor will they get bad luck because even though the temperature is perfect, they’re outside.

Can someone tell me where Eritrea is please? And, it has quite a few athletes.

Couple countries where everyone is in long skirts, couple where everyone is in three-piece pants suits. Culture differences are so fascinating.

Short skirts are apparently in in Georgia. Look out guys.

One entire team has decided to sit down in the infield. I can’t say I blame them, especially since at least one woman is in high heels.

11 p.m. __________

Wow, the Independent Olympic Athletes are having a lot of fun. All 3 of them. How do they get qualified as such? Another question to be answered later.

Usain Bolt seems to be having fun as the Jamaica flag bearer, but the group doesn’t seem to be moving fast enough for him.

Lesotho, really, does someone have a globe I can borrow? A world map? Anything?

Malaysia, harnessing the power of the tiger.

Here comes Mexico, in a myriad of colors and, without fail, a sombraro.

I’m wondering if Bevan Docherty will walk with Team New Zealand. He’s playing it off like he’s old hat at this Olympics stuff, but everyone loves a parade, right?

Apparently not, no Mr. Docherty. m

Well, there are three women wallking with the Saudi Arabia team, so I guess the government is serious about letting them compete.

Slovakia = Styling. Love the fedoras and the sweaters.

There had been some hubub that Spain’s outfits, apparently made in Russia, were hideous. But they’re actually not bad. Bright red and yellow, but those are the country’s colors

The red and black dresses for Trinidad and Tobago — matching the flag of course — are really pretty.

Go USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just saw Kobe, Dalhausser and Rogers, Kerri Walsh, Lebron, the whole crew. The USA is going to rock this!
On a side note, our girls’ skirts look pretty matronly compared to some of their counterparts’. Come on Ralph Lauren, it’s time for an update.

It’s Mohammad Ali!

The flag is raised, the Queen opened the games, and here comes Sir Steve Redgrave to light the torch. Redgrave is a rower who won medals at five straight Olympics. The torch traveled 12,500 miles.

12:31
These runners represent future Olympians

Wow. The torch became a porcupine and then a huge torch again. Then the fireworks and Paul McCartney. It’s a good night.

Post navigation

3 thoughts on “Reporting from opening ceremonies”

Independent Athletes people who are deemed not to have a country, for example there was a runner on the news who was a refugee from Sudan (I could be wrong on the location)and since he was unable to declare citizenship or what ever the OIC needs to compete under a country beacuse of his refugee status, he was deemed a Independent Athlete. At least thats the gist of it.

Lesotho, a small nation within the boarders of south Africa.
Eritrea, a mountainous nation on the east coast of Africa
thanks for the coverage.
I loved rowan atkinson in anything.
the music review went too long and too confusing on the TV screen.
The forged rings bit is a favorite.